Listening to music during exercise improves performance and reduces discomfort. Scientists researched whether listening to music while studying can help students learn better and the results were inconclusive. Students who needed external stimulation for studying fared worse while students who did not need any external stimulation benefited from music.
Which one of the following statements is the inference of the above passage?
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Answer: C
To find the correct inference, let us break down the statements given in the passage:
- Effect on Exercise: "Listening to music during exercise improves performance and reduces discomfort."
This indicates a clear, unambiguous positive effect of music on physical exercise. - Effect on Learning: "Students who needed external stimulation for studying fared worse while students who did not need any external stimulation benefited from music."
This shows that the effect of music on learning is conditional: it benefits only a specific group of students (those who do not need external stimulation) while negatively affecting others. Thus, music has a positive effect on learning only in some students.
Now, let us evaluate the given options:
- Option A: Incorrect. The passage states that music does have an effect on learning (positive for some, negative for others), so saying it has "no effect" is false.
- Option B: Incorrect. Music does not have a "clear positive effect" on learning for everyone, as some students fared worse.
- Option C: Correct. It accurately reflects both findings: a clear positive effect on physical exercise, and a positive effect on learning only for a subset of students.
- Option D: Incorrect. It falsely claims a clear positive effect on learning for all students.
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